Coal-mining machine



4 sheetssheet 1 (No Model.)

B. P. ASPBR.

GOAL MINING MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 4, 1883.

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(-No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. I. ASPBR.

Y GOAL MINING MACHINE. Ia-289.745. Patented Dea. 4, 1883,

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-*Sheet 3.

B. P ASPEB.

GOAL MINING)MUMHIBLELV Patented Dee.y 4, r1883.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)`

13.1". ASPBR,

GOAL MINING MACHINE.

Noi 289,745; Patented Deo. 4, 188s S .e 5 .5 f, rn, w,

`NITED STATES vPATENVSP OFFICE,

BENJAMIN E. AsrER, oE rIrrsBUEG, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-MINING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming par/eef Lettere Patent No.f 289,745, dated December 4, 1883.

Application led May 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all 11j/"wm, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. AsPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal Mining Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section, and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 de-:

tails of my improvement. Fig. l0 is a longitudinal sectional view on line x x of Fig. l,

looking toward the middle of the machine.

The object of this invention is greatly to facilitate the operation and correspondingly re-v duce the expense of mining coal bythe substitution for the ordinary and tedious manual labor of automatic machinery actuated by steam or other equivalent motive power.

This invention accordingly consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, having special reference to the following provisions, viz first, a series of reciprocating picks or digging implements, the stroke of which is produced by the contraction of powerful springs,which are distended through the medium of a motorshaft carrying tappetarms for such purpose; second, mechanism for feeding said picks forward as the channeling progresses, said mechanism comprising a peculiar combination of right and left hand screws, one of which is attached to the main frame or carriage,while the other is connected to the pick-frame, and telescoped within the -former in such a manner that it will reciprocate with the frame while being caused to rotate with the outer screw; third, means whereby the picks may be adjusted relatively to accommodate them to any condition of obli quity in the vein or mine; fourth, means for giving the carriage or main frame a lateral feeding movement on its base, such movement being obtained by suitable intermediate gearing from the 1notor-shaft, causing the picks to travel laterally the width of the channel being out, such travel being continuously to and fro,l so that the mining proceeds in both directions-that is, from left to right and right to left alternately; fth, cleaning-chains which clean out and empty the channel asthe work proceeds, such chains being arranged to feed forward and laterally with the respective picks; sixth, devices whereby the machine may be adjusted to any pitch or inclination, according 4 to lthe nature of the coal-vein;l seventh, various details of construction pertaining to the devices,whereby the aim and object ofthe iny vention may be fully accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating -a mining-machine embodying my invention,

A designates a rectangular frame or bed, upon .which is mounted the moving parts of the apparatus. At the ends of such bed or frame, which 'comprises the side bars, a, end pieces, a', and intermediate ties, a2 c3, and upon the bars a are formed grooves or ways at, which receive the'end bars of the carriage B, the latter being designed and adapted to travel laterally thereon. YThe bed A is supported at its corners upon casters b, fitted to threaded standards b, which .screw into suitable screwsockets. rI he bed may be adjusted to any height, pitch, or inclination required by the peculiar form or other conditions of the vein or 4the locality of the channel to be cut by means of screws v. The carriage is a wrought or cast iron structure, of rectangular form, having the sides B and ends B2: The side bars are slotted at b3, as shown, for the reception of the transverse bars of the piek-frame.

' C designates the pick, consisting of the heads @,vof wedge or chisel form, or they may be of any shape found 'best adapted to their func tions. These heads are mounted on the ends of long bars VD, litting in the head-sockets d, and fastened by set-screws d', by loosening which the heads maybe displaced. The bars D extend completely through the carriage, andv beyond the' ends,which have holes d2 for their passage and play. l E E El designate transverse bars constituting the piclqframe. and arranged to slide on the iloors of the slots b2 in the sides of the carriage. The bars E E2 are held together and braced by the bolt-bars e c', threaded on their ends and secured by nutse2 c2. The pick-rods pass loosely through the bar E2, relatively to which the bars E E are adjustable through the medium of the feeding-screws, but are fastened to the bar E by means of set-screws eJ e3 and clamp-collars et. The clamp-collars abut against the forward side ofthe bar E, and are preferably made in two semi-cylindrical sections hinged together, and interlocked by setscrews c5, which secure them to the pick-rods. The object of the clamp-collars is to provide a more secure fastening between the bar E and thepick-rods, andthey are made in two sections, to enable them to be removed and replaced without difficulty. The stroke of the picks forward is effected by powerful coiled springs F F, located between and secured at their ends to the forward end ofthe carriage and the bar E. Vhen the pick-frame is retracted, the springs are distended, and when released the springs forcibly contract, thus driving the picks forward with a force commensurate only with the power and tension of the springs. The retraction of the pick frame with the picks is accomplished by the agency of the motor-shaft and the power-such as a steam, gas, or other engine.

G designates the motor-shaft mounted upon and transversely of the carriage in suitablel bearings, g g, and coupled in any desirable way with the engine or motor, so as to obtain therefrom a continuous rotary motion. Upon this shaft are mounted the collars H, having the radial tappet-arms h, carrying anti-friction rollers 71. on their ends. As the shaft rotates, these arms, through theirrollers,come successively in contact with rollers h2, firmly sustained upon the bar E by standards h3, and, in the act of impingement of passing said rollers if, force the pick-frame back. As soon as released, the frame is projected forward, and the result is a rapid reciprocating action of the pick-frame and picks, the stroke occurring between each period of contact of the tappetarms and pick-frame.

The lateral feed of the picks is accomplished in the following way: To the cross-beams a2 c are secured the toothed racks I l', with which engage thepinions l2 l, mounted on a horizontal shaft, I, having its bearings in the frames Kand K. The pinion lz gears with a spurwheel, L, mounted in frame K, and carrying on its shaft L the opposing beveled gears, ZZ', with which engage alternately the teeth of a mutilated beveled-gear wheel, m. The wheel 'm is mounted on the same shaft with a wormwheel, m', engaging with a worm, m2, which is turned from the main shaft through the beveled gearing m3 m Now, as the shaft turns and the picks operate, the gearing above described causes the carriage to travel slowly lin a lateral direction, so that the picks will cut a horizontal channel in the coal of a width corresponding to the length of the rack on the bed and the semi-circumference of the mutilated wheel. The parts are so proportioned that the picks shall travel the distance between two adjacent picks, one pick reaching the point where the next adjacent pick began. Then such point is reached, the picks are led forward and the carriage begins to travel in a reverse direction. This reversal is effected under the continuous rotary motion of the main shaft by the conjoint action of the mutilated wheel and one of the opposing pinions, for as soon as the teeth of said wheel leave the pinion Z, which turns the shaft L in a direction necessary to the travel of the carriage, as first described, they immediately engage with the pinion Z and cause a reverse movement. Thus the carriage travels to and fro continuously, and the picks require no attention other than the regulation and control of their forward feed as the sides of the channel. are alternately reached.

Now, while the machine is primarily designed to operate with all the picks which its construction will accommodate, yet as the picks, although attachcdto the one frame, are otherwise independent of each other, any number may be employed less than the full rank, those not required being displaced from the pick-frame, and only those operated that are required or expedient to use, according to the work to be done. Again, the picks are susceptible of relative or independent adjustment by moving and settingthe pick-rods in the pick-frame, so that they will operate in a right line or at any degree ofa Obliquity or irregularity required by the varying conditions of the vein or the form of the mining-shaft, thus rendering the machine available under -every and all circumstances, and even capable of use when manual labor would be impossible, inexpedient, or unsafe.

To feed the picks forward to their work I employ the following means: A hollow or tubular screw, N, is located in the rear half of the carriage, with its bearings in the end thereof and the frame K. Upon the rear end of this screw is a toothed pinion, oz', driven by a large toothed wheel, n, having sprockets or arms n2 and journaled to the carriage. rIhis screw passes through and carries a cross-head, O, to which are attached the clearing-chain rods O', and when the screw is turned the crosshead moves thereon, carrying with it forward or backward, according to the direction of revolution, said chain-rods. l? designates a second screw, which is threaded reversely to the screw N. The screw P is fitted within or telescoped into the screw N, and is also tubular, its bore being squared to receivea square rod, N', which is attached at its rear end to the pinion n, so as to turn therewith and with the screw l?. The telescoping arrcngement of the two screws and the square rod is employed in order to give the requisite feeding movement, and at the same time allow the screw lD to reciprocate freely within and independently of the screw N andupon the rod.v The screw l? is journaled at vits forward end in the bar E of the pick-frame, and passes through a threaded opening in the bar E2. Now, as the screw N is turned inthe direc- IOC IIO

tion necessary for feeding the `picks to their work, the cross-head O is forced forward with the chain-rods and chains. At the same time the screw P, turning in its threaded socket in bar E2, is bodilymoved forward, forcing before it the bars E E and pick-frame, and with the same uniform movement as the chain-bars and chain, thus preserving the relation ofthe chains and picks and keeping them in line. This capability in the screw N of being thus moved forward does not interfere with the play of the pick-frame, as, while the latter reciprocates, the screw P moves freely within the screw N and upon the rod N. The chains C)2 O2 are carried upon and over sprocket-wheels 0r rollers g g upon the ends of the chain-rods, and are propelled by sprocket-wheels g2 g2, mounted on the main shaft. Slots R R are provided in the ends of the carriage for the passage of the chain. The chain projects to nearly a line with the ends of the picks, so as to enter the channel formed thereby and clear out the cuttings as they are cut. To facilitate cleaning, the chain may be provided with serapers R,located at proper intervals. The sprocket- Y wheels or rollers f/ r/ are mounted in the forked ends of sockets or ferrules It2 R2, secured to the ends of the chain-rods by set-screws, and capable of adjustment, so as to take up slack in the chains In Fig. G I have shown an expedient whereby any tendency in the bar E to become strained or bent is avoided should there be any tendency to strain or bend, owing to the screw-connection therewith being in the middle part of the bar and working against the resistance of the pick rods on either side thereof. Such expedient consists of a pair of rack-bars, e, secured by nuts on their threaded ends to the cross-bars E E2, and passing under or through slots in the bar E', which bars carry dogs S S', engaging with the teeth of said rack in'one direction only. These rackbars and dogs serve to brace and strengthen the bar E against the thrust of the screw, the rack resisting the counter tendency of the ends of the bars. Thefeeding action of the pick-frame is in nowise interfered with by the rack and dog device, as the dog rides freely over the teeth as the frame moves forward.

In Fig. 7 is shown a device which may be employed when it is desired to rotate the main shaft by hand instead of steam or equivalent power. This device consists of a lever, T, fulcrumed upon a standard, T', and provided with spring-dogs t and t', engagingA with a ratchet-wheel, T2, mounted on the main shaft. When the lever is raised, the dog engages the wheel and turns it the distance of atooth, and

by several movements the pick-springs are distended sufficiently for striking purposes. U is a detent attached to the standard T, and serving to hold the wheel T2 at any desired position.

Fig. 8 shows a form of pick-head which is suggested as serviceable, its forked construemeans of a cross-head attached to them and its operating-screws, a motor-shaft with tappets and connections for retracting said frame, and springs arranged, substantially as described, so as to be distended when the frame recedes, and to alternately contract and project ordrive the frame forward, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the reciprocating pick-frame E E E2 and the feeding-screw l?, attached to the bar E2, and working through a nut in bar E2, of the rack-bars e e, coupling the bars E E2, and the dogs S, pivoted upon the bar E', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for mining coal, a laterallymoving carriage carrying picks which reciprocate therein, in combination with beveled pinions which face each other upon their shaft, suitable gearing connecting said shaft with the laterally-moving carriage, a mutilatedgear wheel which engages with said beveled pinions alternately, and suitable gearing connecting said mutilated-gear wheel with the driving-shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for mining coal, a laterallymoving carriage carrying picks, which reciprocate therein, and are attached to a reciprocating frame, in combination with a drivingshaft carrying tappets, through which the frame is retracted, beveled pinions, which face each other upon their shaft, suitable gearing connecting' said shaft with the laterally-moving carriage, a mutilated-gear wheel, which engages with said beveled pinions alternately, and suitable gearing connecting said mutilatedgear wheel with the driving-shaft, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the supporting-frame A, a laterally-moving carriage thereon carrying reciprocating picks C and the drivingshaft G, worm m2, driven from said shaft by suitable gearing, worm-wheel m', engaging with said worm, mutilated bevel-gear m upon the shaft of said worm-wheel, bevel-pinions Z Z upon shaft L, arranged to be alternately engaged by said mutilated gear, spur-wheel L on shaft L', and pinions I2 I3, driven by said wheel L and engaging racks I I upon the frame A, whereby said carriage is fed laterally across the face of the coal and alternately reversed and fed back again, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the reciprocating pick-frame composed of the bars E E2 and IOG IIO

connecting-rods e e', picks mounted in said frame, cross-head E', secured to said picks, screw P, swiveled in said cross-head and engaging a nut fixed in cross-bar El, whereby said picks may be adj usted longitudinally with respect to the pick-frame, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the reciprocating pick-frame, the picks C,loosely mounted therein, adj Listing-screw P,swiveled to the cross-bar E of said fra1ne,'which is secured to the pickrods, and engaging a nut in the cross-bar E2,

and the square revolving rod N, entering a square bore in said screw, whereby said screw respect to the reciprocating mechanism, and clearing-chains arranged parallel thereto and running in'longitudinally-adj ustable supports, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the cross-head VO, screw N, for advancing the same,l chain-rods 0* attached thereto, clearing-chains running over pulleys mounted on said rods, and mechanism for operating said chains, substantially as described.

l1. The combination, with a reciprocating frame 'carrying the picks C, and mechanism, substantially as described, for actuating said picks, of the hollow screw N, journaled in the carriage B B B2, the square rod N', coupled to said screw, and the hollow screwP, reciprocating in screw N and upon rod N', said screw l) being connected to the pick-frame, and said screw N being connected to a crosshead carrying the clearing-chain rods, substantially as described, so as to feed the picks and the clearing-chains forward, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. ASPER.

Vitnesses:

Jos. B. CoNNoLLY, A. A. GoNNoLLY. 

